Cineto Romano (a village of approximately 800 inhabitants in the Aniene valley. 50km east of Rome, at 522m altitude on the calcareous foothills between the Tivoli hills and the Simbruini mountains proper, in the province of Rome) is the Aniene valley village that the specific combination of its accessible position on the Rome-L'Aquila road (the SS5 Tiburtina Valeria, the ancient Roman road that follows the Aniene valley through the Simbruini) and the Cascata della Bardella (the waterfall on the Bardella stream above the village, the most accessible mountain waterfall in the province of Rome, reachable in 30 minutes from the village center on the marked trail) gives a specific character among the many Aniene valley settlements that the visitor typically passes through without stopping.
The specific Cineto Romano character: the village isn't a destination in the conventional sense, it is the specific kind of Apennine small town whose combination of the preserved medieval center (the church of San Michele Arcangelo, the village piazza with the fountain, and the specific calcareous stone architecture of the Aniene foothills) and the immediate natural access (the Bardella waterfall trail, the Simbruini foothills walking, and the specific Aniene valley landscape that the village position reveals) justifies a 2-hour stop in the context of the broader Aniene valley circuit.
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Cineto Romano: Waterfall Trail and Village
The Cascata della Bardella
The Cascata della Bardella trail (from the Cineto Romano village center, the marked path following the Bardella stream upstream through the calcareous gorge to the waterfall at 720m, approximately 3km and 200m elevation gain, 1 hour ascent): the specific Bardella waterfall (the 15-20m free-fall waterfall over the calcareous lip, the water volume and the visual impact vary significantly with the season: spring (March-May) is the maximum flow period when the snowmelt from the Simbruini feeds the Bardella at its highest volume. Summer (July-August) reduces the fall significantly. Autumn (October-November) restores the moderate-flow character). The trail (the marked path through the mixed oak and hornbeam woodland of the Simbruini foothills) is accessible without technical equipment and suitable for the moderately fit walker with appropriate footwear.
The Village Walk
Cineto Romano village walk (20 minutes for the complete circuit, the piazza, the church, and the viewpoint over the Aniene valley from the village southern edge): the specific Cineto Romano viewpoint (the view over the Aniene valley below, the river visible through the valley vegetation, the Simbruini foothills on the opposite slope, and the Rome hills visible in the distant west on clear days).
Q&A: Cineto Romano
Can I combine Cineto Romano with other Aniene valley stops?
Yes, the Aniene valley circuit from Rome (the SS5 Tiburtina Valeria): Tivoli (the Villa Adriana and the Villa d'Este. 30km from Rome), Subiaco (the Sacro Speco and Santa Scolastica abbeys. 60km from Rome), Cineto Romano (the Bardella waterfall. 50km from Rome), and Anticoli Corrado (the artists' village. 50km from Rome on the northern Aniene slope) form the complete Aniene valley cultural and natural circuit, covering approximately 150km of round trip from Rome and requiring a full day.
Internal Links
- Valle Aniene: Cineto Romano e i Borghi del Fiume
- Simbruini: Cineto Romano e Cervara nel Circuito
- Cascata della Bardella: Il Trekking da Cineto
- Cineto Romano in Primavera: La Cascata in Piena
- Valle Aniene in Autunno: Cineto e i Colori
- Fotografare la Cascata della Bardella
- Aniene: I Borghi Sconosciuti della Valle
